old illustrations of limerick

[Junior]

RE: Old Bear Inn ~ 1640
Reminiscences of old Limerick by Ernest H. Bennis, 1951Book
Broad Street, once a leading and prosperous thoroughfare, contains a well chiselled archway, formerly the entrance to the “Old Bear Inn”, having on the keystone the inscription “Pierse Creagh 1640, rebuilt by John Creagh 1767”.

Here's a nice photograph of the Old Bear Inn, no. 29&30 Broad Street now unfortunately demolished along with most of the western side of Broad St. Nice squat-two story dutch-billy, the original pitch of the gable end is clearly evident in the brickwork. The site was fully excavated in the late 1980's prior to re-development however the inscribed plaque went missing at this time, probably on someones mantelpiece.

[CologneMike]

Old Bear Inn 29-30 Broad Street (Western Side of Street) ?

Your source is definitely at odds with what I found on the Limerick Museum / City Library sites as they position the Old Bear Inn to be on the other side of the street i.e. eastern side. Attached is a close up image of that stone of arms with C E M / 1712 inscribed on it. Any chance you reference the source of your information on 29-30 Broad Street?

[CologneMike]

Old Bear Inn 11-12 Broad Street (Eastern Side of Street) ?

The following sources would indicate it to have been located on the eastern side of the street.

In Broad Street, the Keystone of the arch of what was formerly the “Old Bear Inn,” has the inscription – Built in 1640 by Piers Creagh; rebuilt 1767, by John Creagh.

Lecture on Old Limerick - Rev. J. Dowd, M.A. PDF Page 5 (City Library)

The site of “Old Bear Inn” was marked by the letter Y in an adapted H.G. Leask’s 1941 Map. (City Library)

Photograph, print. Limerick City. Curry Lane, behind Broad St, showing rear of four houses including the Bear Inn. Foreground, boys, horse and cart, cottage behind. (Limerick Museum)

Photograph, b/w print. Ernest Bennis with a dog on a lead, looking at bow-way in Broad Street; the ends of shop fronts on either side have numbers 11 and 12; cobbled street in foreground. Reverse inscribed "Ernest H. Bennis/ Limerick" in blue ball-point and "Old Bear Inn" in black ink. (Limerick Museum)

[CologneMike]

Here is a nice peep of Broad Street circa 1650.

The largest grey building (six windows) in the image below was Piers Creagh’s House.



Larger image